Fire-grate



1.1. FOWDEN.

FIRE GRATE. APPLICATION- FILED JUNE H, 1919.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

- 1477'0/F/VEK J. J. FOWDEN. 1

FIRE GRATE.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 1919. 1,337,214. Patented p 20, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l/VVENTOR L/ose o/L 4/, 5010049 7? W m W ATTORNE JOSEPH J. FOWDEN, OFPHILADELPI-IIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-GRATIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 19.20.

Application filed June 11, 1919. Serial No. 303,371.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn J. FownnN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFireGrates, of which the following is a specification.

The principal objects of the present 1nvention are, first, to providefor successfully undercleaning the fire by filing away the under surfaceof the ash bed, thus eliminating the necessity of drawing the fire;second, to maintain a uniform draft and fire bed by providing that onlysutficient ash be undercut to keep the bed at a predetermined depth;third, to preserve the grate by air cooling and by keeping the fire fromcoming into contact with the fire bars at all times; fourth, to avoidlosses such as are due to the introduction of air into the furnacebecause ashes may be removed at all times and while the fire is in fulland normal action; fifth, to save fuel and prevent carbon losses bykeeping an ash bed thlck enough to prevent coal from coming into contactwith the grate and by avoiding all disturbance of the fire-bed; andsixth, to provide a grate which shallbe durable and efficient inoperation and which will save waste of fuel.

The invention will be claimed at the end hereof but will be firstdescribed in connection with the accompanying drawings forming parthereof and in which Figure 1, is a plan view of so much of a grate as isnecessary for illustrating the 1nvention in connection with thefollowing description, and showing the bars in normal position.

Fig. 2, is a similar view showing the bars in abnormal or cleaningposition.

Fig. 3, is a side view of a grate bar.

Fig. 4, is a sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5, is a side view of mechanism for reciprocating the bars ingroups.

Fig. 6, is an end view partly in section of the same, and

Figs. 7 and 8, are views similar to Figs. 5 and 6, and showing amodification.

A description of one grate bar will suffice for they are alike, but theyare arranged in reverse direction. Each grate bar tapers from the top tothe bottom and is provided on top with similarly disposed teeth 1,having spaces 2, between. At the spaces the top of the bar slants awaysidewise from a ridge or is roof-shaped as at 3. Between the teeth, andgenerally in line with the roof-shaped portion 3, the sides of the barare provided with concavities t.

In a grate the bars are arranged sideface to side-face with the teeth ofadjacent bars reversely disposed, and in the normal position theconcavities 4, adjacent bars are out of alinement so that the holesprovided through the grate by the concavities 4:, are sufficiently largeto pass all the air needed, but are small enough to prevent the passageof solid matter.

To move alternate bars endwise in groups, use may be made of arock-shaft 5, having rock-arms 6, between pairs of bars of which thealternate bars are pivoted and of which the intermediate bars areslidable on the rockshaft which constitutes a support. There is a rockshaft at each end of the grate, so that alternate bars are moved endwiseand back at intervals and this is true of intermediate bars. The barsmay be moved endwise individually or in any de sired groups. To do thisthe bars are mounted to slide on a support 7, and there is a key 8,traveling on a worm shaft carried by the rocker arms 6, and cooperatingwith a notch 9, in the rocker arm and in one or more of notches 10,provided in the grate bars. No means are shown for driving the wormshaft but those skilled in the art will understand how to supply themand they may operate from the center of oscillation of the rockingmember.

When the bars are moved endwise at appropriate intervals the bottom ofthe ash bed is, as it were, filed off by the teeth 1, without disturbingthe fire-bed and in such a way that sufficient ash is left forprotecting the grate bars. The ash so removed falls onto the roof-shapedportions 3, and thence through the openings provided by the alinement ofthe concavities 4, into the ash pit.

' The downwardly beveled sides of the bars including the walls of theconcavities avoids stoppage, and as the bars are returned to normalposition the concavities clear themselves of any ash that may tend tolodge in them. In the normal position of the bars the openings formed byconcavities and the adjacent side walls of the bars are too small topermit of the passage of such solid particles as are present, but aresufficiently large to admit the necessary air.

I claim:

1. A fire grate consisting of bars arranged close enough together tonormally prevent the passage of ash between them and having on top teethlow enough to produce a filing action on the lower ash surface andspaced apart to provide clearance and reversely disposed on adjacentbars and said bars having on their sides between the teeth spacedconcavities small enough to exclude the passage of ash when out ofalinement, and means for reciprocating the bars endwise, substantiallyas described.

2. A. fire grate consisting of bars laterally tapering from the toptoward the bottom and having on top teeth low enough to produce a filingaction reversely disposed on adjacent bars and having between the teethroot' shaped portions and having on their sides between the teeth spacedconcavities normally out of alinement on adjacent bars, and means forreciprocating the 2 alternate and intermediate bars endwise in groups.

3. A fire grate consisting of bars laterally tapering :trom the toptoward the bottom and having on top teeth low enough 3 to produce afiling action reversely disposed on adjacent bars and having between theteeth roof-shaped portions and having on their sides between the teethspaced concavities normally out of alinement on adja- 3 cent bars, andmeans for reciprocating the bars endwise singly.

4:. In a grate the combination of bars ar ranged with their side wallsin close enough proximity to prevent the passage of ash and 4 eachhaving in its side walls spaced concavities small enough to individuallyprevent the passage of ash and normally out of alinement, and means formoving the bars endwise to aline the concavities and permit 4 thepassage of ash, substantially as described.

JOSEPH J. FOWDEN.

